Adam Dance

I thank my constituents who signed the petition or who wrote to me about the issue. It goes without saying that we are a country of animal lovers, and that while no law requires drivers to report a cat’s death on our roads, they should look to find a way to inform the owners if they are responsible for a collision. At least, that is what the Government told me when I asked them about the issue more than a year ago. That missed the point, however; unfortunately, just because they should, does not mean that everyone will. Whether cats or dogs, pets are loved members of the family for many in our communities. I am a pet owner myself, and there is no worse feeling than not knowing where one’s pet is and whether they are okay. I have an AirTag on my pet, just to make sure I can keep a closer eye. Susie from Chard put it best when she recently spoke out after losing her cat Tigs to a car collision last year: “It just cannot be right that in 2026 the law allows cats to be hit by cars and left alone, scared and in pain on the roadside”. She is absolutely right. She is also right to point out that, ultimately, we need more preventive measures. Microchipping is great, but we need to look carefully at other measures such as speed controls in residential areas, signage and many more. Without doubt, however, although legislation is easy, to enforce reporting is not. It might seem obvious, but cats are smaller than the animals that have to be reported, they are usually out and about at dawn or dusk, and drivers of larger vehicles may not notice a collision. I still do not think that any of that is an excuse to do nothing. The Government told me in their response last year that they would publish the conclusion of a research project on the challenges preventing some cats from being reunited with their keepers after road traffic incidents. I followed up a month later to ask when we could expect to see that research, but I was told that it is undergoing review—basically, “It will be published when it is ready, so go away.” I have not heard or seen anything since, so I would appreciate it if the Minister provided us with an update on those findings, and what action the Government have taken as a result. Pets are our family, and no should be left uncertain about the wellbeing of their family.